The Spirit of Christmas

Christmas.

I believe it is a year round holiday.
I believe it's okay to sing Christmas songs in June and July and August and September.
I believe it's okay to count down the days.
And I believe it's okay to love baking Christmas treats and putting up ornaments.
That doesn't mean that every Sunday we have to sing "Christmas Songs," nor does it mean our tree must stay standing until Valentines day. It doesn't even mean that we have to keep our lights on the house year round.

I believe in many traditions about Christmas -  traditions like reading the nativity and putting up stockings.

I also believe in Santa Claus.

Why?

He comes in the night.
He wears red.
He knows when we are good.
He is sad when we are bad.
He loves little children.
He brings gifts.

I also believe in Christ.

Why?

He comes in the night.
He wears red.
He knows when we are good.
He is sad when we are bad.
He loves little children.
He brings gifts.

And so I believe Christmas is for every day.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16

Below is a link to a beautiful video the LDS Church has made. Please take 3 min and 58 seconds to watch it :) It's worth it.

"To catch the real meaning of Christmas, we need only to drop the last syllable, and it becomes the Spirit of Christ." Thomas S. Monson.

Merry Christmas!

And a Happy new year :)

https://lds.org/youth/video/the-christmas-spirit?lang=eng

love, sunny

Shopping.

It's got to be one of my least favorite things to do

of ALL time.

The only fun thing to do is watch all those Fancy Nancy's

walk in and out of the shoe store talking to each other:
"I saw a girl wearing these boots today. . . And I really love them." (Pointing to knee-high gray boots)
"Do they have these in brown? Do they have these in brown? Do they have these in brown? HEY do they have these in brown?"
"Actually I like them all."

*actuall snippets of conversation.*

Even though it is fun to watch Fancy Nancy's go shoe shopping, it is also pretty fun to go with your fam. Just the sisters and mom, that is :)

(pointing to flat sunday shoe): "Ah!It looks like a snake!"
". . . I think it is."

"How do people walk in  . . . whoa . . ."

"Waitstopnomom!"
*spoken in one breath*

"I was trying on older girl shoes and she told me I would ruin them."
"Who, the employee?"
"No, Amber."

"I don't like shoes with netting." They make me feel like I'm fishing.

"These are great shoes! Perfect for summer and wearing skirts!"
" . . .Too bad it's winter."

"Hey, someone smells good!"
"It's me."
"No, it's Melanie."
"What, did she put on the Justin Beiber perfume?"
" :P "

"Who's that??"
"That is Emma Watson."
"Oooh."

"Where's mom?"
"Trying on earrings."
" . . . You can't try on earrings."

"Where's Amber?"
"We lost her."
"That's not good."

"Look how cute those shoes are! You should get them." (pointing at rainbow colored shoes that add about six inches to one's height.)
"There is no way you are getting me to wear those to high school."

But I do love being fancy.
Shopping is only fun if you go with the right people. And it's only rewarding if you go with mom. :D



Radiant Tales: Chapter Seventeen

Once upon a time, there was a girl with red hair and freckles.

This girl believed in many things. She believed in skirts with pockets and salad with ranch dressing. She never failed her math tests and always chewed her gum with her mouth closed. She went to high school and moved out of elementary school and junior high, continuing on to bigger and better things in life. She had three pairs the same brand of jeans and got new tennis shoes every year in August.

And she was happy.

This week, something happened to this girl.

This week, she learned more about herself in ways she never would have imagined.

She still believed in skirts with pockets and salad with ranch dressing, but she failed her math test. Twice. She went to high school and felt that everything was too big for her, and she felt out of place in her jeans that always looked the same, even if she wore a different pair.

But she learned that it is more important to focus on the needs of others than on her own wishes and desires.

She learned that even though she got a bad grade on two of her tests, things would work out. Heavenly Father might not be able to fix her score, but he could fix her heart.

And He did.

She felt alone every day and broke down at 6:30 on Thursday morning because things couldn't possibly get  any worse.

But then her dad walked in and saw her crying there on the floor, staring at her text book and blank page of homework problems. All he did was sit and hug her and tell her he didn't care about her grades. He told her that even if she didn't qualify for scholarships or anything else, what mattered most to him was that she keeps trying.

And she was grateful for him.

But she still felt alone.

She sat alone at lunchtime because she had homework to do before her next class. She drove to school alone because she is the only one in high school in her family. She cried alone at night and sometimes she ate dinner and breakfast alone because she was hardly ever there for her family's meals.

She didn't know what she was doing wrong. All she knew was that she was at the end of her rope and losing her grip quickly.

She'd been taught all her life that the Saviour loved her and that because of His sacrifice, she would never walk alone.

So why did she feel alone?

The answer was simply this:

She had lost her faith.

She let her trials and challenges interfere with her love of the Saviour and her Heavenly Father, so they couldn't help her. She unintentionally put up a door between herself and them. And she didn't realise that they were still knocking;

That they didn't leave.

She just wasn't listening.

One night, she asked for forgiveness. With tears running down her face, she told her Heavenly parents that she felt like giving up. Her math was too hard, her french too confusing, and her trials too heavy,

But then she remembered, "When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed, when you are discouraged thinking all is lost, count your many blessings name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done."

and so she did.

And the next day was still the worst day of the week. But Heavenly Father prompted her friend to give her a note. Then as she was reading her scriptures, He told her, "I am mindful of you always in my prayers." (Moroni 8:3).

And she was puzzled. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ praying for me?

Yes.

And then she felt peace wash over her and she knew that everything would work out. Even if she felt like it would not, it would.

And it did.

And now her faith is strengthened in God because He didn't fail her. He never has and He never will.

She realised that He knew all along the struggles she would face. Even when she felt like she was alone, truly, He was there. And He never left.

 All she had to do was pray, look up, and reach out.

And He did the rest.

Love,

Sunshine

Ten things the Average High School Senior Would LOOOOVE to Tell You

. . . but cant.

1. CTE Credits are stupid.
2. High School counsellor's aren't doing anyone a favour when they give you an SEOP appointment during your AP class.
3. The Renaissance Assembly makes no sense. Can you just see the teachers getting together in their meetings? "How should we reward the good grade students?" "Ooh, I know! Let's see if they can maintain their grades, and let's tempt them with cinnamon rolls and a game of bingo during class!" Rewarding good grade students by giving them the option to miss class and thus lose their grade . . . hmmm . . . "But the Cinnamon roll was so good!"
. . .
4. Red headed counsellors hate red headed students. Especially the students who have lives and so are slowly completing online classes. But it was too slow for ya, huh? Thanks for taking away my internship and complicating my already overly complicated life.
5. Six revisions of an essay = lots of pain + an "A" paper. Teachers forget about the lots of pain part.
6. The Inferno is not an uplifting book.
7. These ugly wrinkles, dark shadows around my eyes, and the redness in my eyes are all due to your class. :)
8. No one cares about bowling.
9. AP Nap Class would be a sinch.
10. If college is like thirteenth grade, I quit.

Here's to another week of death.

Woot woot.


And . . .



FOURTEEN DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have never been so happy in my life.

Love, Sunshine

Something to be said.

There is something to be said about family.

Heavenly Father knew I would need them. My dad worked the equivalent number of hours for two weeks in just one. And he didn't complain. He just goes about his day, saying Hi to me every time he sees me and not hesitating to ask me how my day has been. Even when I give him one word answers, he still smiles and makes me feel loved. I need to be more like my dad.

There is something to be said about Heavenly Families.

They're always there when I need them. Always. I love my older sister to death. But it's nice to know that I have an older brother as well. He, Jesus Christ, is my friend. And that means I can hold my head up high, no matter what the world says to me. And I will hold it up high just for Him.

There is something to be said about Friends.

It's hard to be happy when I'm having a bad week, and yet, looking back, I find that it was never as bad as it seemed. Especially upon realizing that every step I walked was doubled by a friend who walked beside me and didn't quit. Some did, and that's ok. I'll still be here when they decide they need me again. Fact is, I'll always need them.

And there is something to be said about this:

Perhaps it sounds cliche, but maybe those are the sayings we need to pay attention to the most: the ones that are said over and over again.

With love and a thankful heart,

Sunshine

Radiant Tales: Chapter Sixteen

Hi there :)

This is Doug.

Let me tell you about him.

He gets made fun of, yet he still maintains a slobbery grin.

He is labeled as the dog who can't do anything right, yet he saves "the small mail man and the one who smells of prunes." and kevin, of course.

He is just a little bit on the weird end, but he still does his best to make friends.

He loves everyone he meets, but hardly ever recieves the same affection in return.

And he is super sweet but gets told all the time that he's not good at anything and deserves to live his life in "The Cone of Shame."

. . . . . .

You ever felt a little like Doug?

:)

Chances are the answer is yes.

Chances are that sooner or later someone is going to do something to make you feel sad. You may even be labeled as the who deserves "the cone of shame."

Perhaps you can't run as fast as the others, or perhaps you aren't nearly as smart as that boy in the corner. Maybe you don't feel as beautiful as the girl who sits next to you, or you aren't as liked as that popular crowd of people who sit in the same spot every lunchtime.

My friends, I learned a lesson from Doug.

Doug loves unconditionally. If he doesn't love them permanently, he will love them temporarily. But he still loves them. And whoever "them" might be, I have learned that in the end, it doesn't really matter if you are as smart or pretty or intelligent or popular as they are. In the end, all that matters is that you are the best you can be. And you try to be that perfectly.

Do the best you can do and don't quit.

"Be who you are and say what you want because those who matter don't mind and those who mind don't matter." Doctor Seuss.

And I've learned something else. In all our adventures through life, we would do well to remember that it's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice.

Everyone deserves an Ellie Badge.

:)

 

THIRTY FIVE DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

:)

Love, Sunny

Huzzah :)

There

Are

Fifty Days

Until

CHRISTMAS!!!!!!

I am ecstatic.

That's fancy for

overjoyed.

Which is fancy for super duper happy

:)

The ACT stinks.

A Lot.

Love,

Sunshine.

Deep in the Hundred Acre Woods . . .

Dear Pooh Bear,

I just want to say thank you for your wonderful personality.
Sometimes I wish I could just sit down and have a small smackerel of honey with you at your thotful spot.

It must be wonderful to be a stuffed bear because you know that someone will always love you. Someone always cares about you. Just like you said, "A little consideration, a little thought for others, makes all the difference." Yes, Pooh Bear, it does. Save me a spot on the bridge to come sit by you, for I dearly long to dangle my feet in the water and talk with you about honey.

Dear Tigger,

Thank you for your sense of adventure. There's never a day when you don't have fun. You're always out there doing something. Maybe someday I'll come bouncing with you. So save a couple bounces for me. I'll meet up with you soon.

Dear Piglet,

I know how it feels to be the smallest one. And maybe sometimes you feel like your potential is restricted because of how big you are. But in the words of President Hinckley, "The time has come to stand a little taller." It doesn't matter how tall you are but rather how tall you will stand. And people will look up to you for who you are on the inside. Thank you for being so kind all the time. And thank you for your height :)

Dear Rabbit,

You know what? You sure are an awesome fellow. What with your snazzy little garden and your orderly food storage . . . you're quite admirable :) Thtanks for teaching me to find what is most important in life; that it’s not so much what you grow, but how you have grown and who you have grown with that count J That was a very lame attempt at being prophetic.

Dear Owl,
You're an inspiration to us all.

Dear Kanga and Roo,

Its such a wonderful thing to realize that your mom is your best friend. I love my mom and I'm pretty sure she loves me as much as your mom loves you. At the end of the day, it's nice to know that there will always be someone at home waiting for me. Thanks for being such good examples of how much a family should care for each other.

Dear Eeyore,

I know there are some days when it seems like that darn storm cloud just won't go away; or maybe he won't stop raining on you.

But I know that the sun will come out again. It never hurts to look for that sunshine because that one ray of hope will help you can make it through any rainy day. And hey, it's never as bad as it seems. Especially with friends like Piglet.

Thanks for always being there for your friends. And thanks for showing me the importance of a tail. I wish I had one.

 

Dear Christopher Robin,

Thank you for your example of a good friend. You always leave a note and always come looking for your friends when they are lost or are having a hard time.

I'm so glad you believe in imagination. You know, it's hard sometimes to leave that part of life. But I guess I never really leave it. There will always be a Hundred Acre Woods where I can go and be myself; where Pooh Bear will always be being chased by honeybees; where all the others will be scavenging for the Backson; where Tigger will be bouncing off the trees and the sky. And while I never want to leave the Woods, I can always come back because I know I can find find Rabbit tending his garden, Owl reading a book, Eeyore looking for his tail, and you walking with Pooh by the bridge. That's the best part about an imagination, I guess. It's there when you need it.
Thanks for all you are, Christopher Robin. I'll be back soon.

love,

Sunshine

Some things in this world . . .

just make me laugh.

For example:

1. when you and some other stranger are walking down an empty hall and all of a sudden they become very interested in their phone, the bricks, that hole in the roof, their shirt, etc. They look everywhere except at you. The best thing to do in this instance is to put on a smile and stare at their face. And if you're me, you start laughing inside because you know they are avoiding looking at you.

2. When people don't stop at stop signs but do stop at roundabout entrances. ???? How much more obvious can it get when you see a red sign that says STOP and a yellow sign that says YIELD???? ha.ha.

3. When you're making odd noises with your mouth while sitting at the dinner table, and your dad turns to your youngest brother and says, "Say excuse me." Oh how I wish I'd had a camera.

4. When your cold catches a cold and you can't yell or talk loud. It's the worst when you're walking behind your best friend and you say her name to get her attention but all that comes out is some kind of croak. I won't try to explain the weird looks I got.

5. When you get a drink from the focet and then go to blow your nose and all of a sudden you have to burp and sneeze at the same time. So you do. Yes, this did happen to me and no, I'm not going to tell you how it sounded.

6. When it's fall break but all you've done all day is homework, and the ACT is at the end of the week. This is when I laugh tears of sadness.

7. When I wear a short sleaved shirt on the first A-day, nearly freezing to death, and then come to school the next A-day wearing a sweatshirt. It turns out to be the one day the district decides to crank up the heat.

8. When your friend wants to give you a high five but you are carrying three textbooks in one hand and a violin in the other. So he decides to give you an elbow-five so you both stick out your elbows. Unfortunately, neither one of you realized that a student was walking by . . . Yes, both of us just kinda parted, walking in different directions.

9. When Mr. Hanks makes up a joke in the middle of class. It went something like this: "So now you multiply both sides by sinx to get rid of sin. I call this clearing your sinex-es :) good times. good times.

10. When you sign the "Graduating Class of 2012" poster and you realize that now you have to graduate.


All in all, this week was the longest month of my life. And I loved it because I learned to LaUgH :)

love,

Sunshine

Radiant Tales: Chapter Fifteen

"Hi Grandma!!"

"John."

"Yeah wewll, I don't know. Oh yeah!!  . . ."

"We did 400 gawens."

"uh huh"

"oh, and I ate the best raspberries today! After I ate them I got on my pwasma car and they made me go wike [like] vroom vroom! I was soooo hyper!"


This is John's conversation with Grandma. The 4oo gallons part is a little exaggerated . . . but today we bottled 32 quarts of grape juice!!! Yum. I was listenting to John talk on the phone while I did the dishes. He just didn't know it. :) Can I just tell you how much I "wove" him?

Well, not really. Some things just can't be put into words.

In fact, many things can't be put into words.

For instance.

How do you explain to your friend that you are grateful she hasn't ever given up on you? Because no matter how many times you go to the library to study instead of eat lunch by her she still loves you.

How do you express your love for your dad who basically gives every ounce of energy he has, every single day, for you?

How do you tell your mother she is your hero? How do you put into words the gratitude you have for her unselfish, completely willing, and unquestionably unconditional love for you?

How do you thank your Saviour for everything? How do you tell Him that if it weren't for Him, you'd have failed your test, missesd early morning seminary, and wouldn't know what to do with your life?

The only answer I have is to serve them.

Because really, actions speak louder than words.

And you don't have to talk to give someone a hug or clean up the kitchen or read your scriptures.

I think a lot of the times we feel the Saviour's love and feel the Holy Ghost's comfort because words are said and sometimes forgotten. But feelings . . .  I remember how I feel when the Saviour has been there for me. I remember how I feel when people are kind to me.

"You must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right." Doctrine & Covenants 9:8

"I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart." Doctrine & Covenants 8:2

"I feel my Saviour's love in all the world around me. His spirit warms my soul through everything I see. He knows I will follow Him; give all my life to Him. I feel my Saviours love; the love He freely gives me."

Anyways, I hope you all have a wonderful sabbath tomorrow!

Love,

Sunshine

Believe in Good Things to Come.

You should go here.

http://lds.org/media-library/video/mormon-messages?lang=eng#2010-05-12-good-things-to-come

It's awesome. And I love the message.

Love, Sunshine

How do you go on, when in your heart you begin to understand there is no going back?

Frodo: I can’t do this, Sam.
Sam: I know. It’s all wrong. By rights we shouldn’t even be here. But we are. It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was before so much bad happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you; that meant something even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn’t. They kept going. Because they were holding on to something.
Frodo: What are we holding onto, Sam?
Sam: That there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo… and it’s worth fighting for.

Maybe school is hard. Maybe I am 100% lost in my history class. Maybe I will fail the ACT. Maybe I make too many mistakes in orchestra.

Maybe I pushed out the thought to go and sit by someone who needed a friend today. Maybe I slept through my alarm...(I really did). Maybe I wish I could see my sister again. Maybe it's raining. Maybe I can't see the sun right now.

I'm not good at speaking in french. I stink at memorizing vocabulary. And I usually always fail my english quizzes.

But.

I can think. I can write. I can breathe. I can hear the rain. I can see the sun. And sometimes, I'll catch the glimpse of a rainbow.

I can hear my friends' laughter and I can see their smiles. I can touch the keys on the piano with my fingertips and play to my heart's content. I can gracefully slide my bow accross the strings and create emotions that can't be replaced; not with one thousand chocolate bars. I can tip my head back, look at the stars, and see evidence that God lives and loves me.

I can pray.

I can recieve personal revelation.

I can feel my Saviour's love.

And that, my friends, is what helps me to go on, "when in [my] heart [I] begin to understand there is no going back."

Maybe I can't go back. But maybe I don't need to.

Maybe I'm sad right now, but as Elder Holland says:

"Don’t you quit. You keep walking. You keep trying. There is help and happiness ahead. Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don’t come until heaven. But for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come. It will be all right in the end. Trust God and believe in good things to come."

Sometimes it's hard to go on and move on. But it's worth fighting for that hope. It's worth holding onto.

It's worth it because it's what the Gospel of Jesus Christ is all about: Faith in Christ, pure love like Him, and hope through Him. He will "be a Light for you when all other Lights go out."

There were good times in the past.

:)

And there are good things to come.

In the words of my best friend, "Chin up, pip pip!"

Let us all press on. And the end will be better than the beginning.

After all, it's never as bad as it seems :)

Love,

Sunshine

True Friends Stab You in the Heart.

~Oscar Wilde~

Now, my heart is bursting.

My eyes are too :)


Love,
Sunshine

Chère Kelsey:

Ceci est ma réponse à la lettre que tu m’as donnée.

Eh eh ?????? Avec un « e » oui ?

 . . .

Merci pour la lettre :) j’aime un beaucoup recevoir des lettres! Et aussi, pour votre information, je suis heureuse que maintenant tu sois le diable parce qu’il est très difficile d’être comme le diable !

 . . . je veux dire . . . pas que tu es comme le diable . . . mais  je voudrais être un ange maintenant :)  Est-ce que tu me comprends ?
Aussi, je veux avoir un « soir de films de française »

Comme, bientôt.

Aussi. Je suis encore en choc.

Et aussi. Je suis vraiment un « faux cognat »

Merci pour votre amitié !! Il m’aide constamment.

Au revoir ! Bon chance sur nos devoirs !!!!

Je suis doomed.

Mais,  j'accept cela. :) c'est une bonne vie oui? oui.

Aimer, votre meilleure amie le petit ange avec le cheveux rouge,

Sunshine

Je t'aimais, Je t'aime, et Je t'aimerais.

Mon enfant, nu sur les galets
Le vent dans tes cheveux défaits
Comme un printemps sur mon trajet
Un diamant tombé d’un coffret
Seule la lumière pourrait
Défaire nos repères secrets
Où mes doigts pris sur tes poignets
Je t’aimais, je t’aime et je t’aimerai.
Et quoi que to fasses
L’amour est partout où tu regardes
Dans les moindres recoins de l’espace
Dans le moindre rêve où tu t’attardes
L’amour comme s’il en pleuvait
Nu sur les galets
 

Le ciel prétend qu’il te connaît
Il est si beau c’est sûrement vrai
Lui qui ne s’approche jamais
Je l’ai vu pris dans tes filets
Le monde a tellement de regrets
Tellement de chose qu’on promet
Une seule pour laquelle je suis fait
Je t’aimais, je t’aime et je t’aimerai.
Et quoi que to fasses
L’amour est partout où tu regardes
Dans les moindres recoins de l’espace
Dans le moindre rêve où tu t’attardes
L’amour comme s’il en pleuvait
Nu sur les galets


On s’envolera du même quai
Les yeux dans les mêmes reflets
Pour cette vie et celle d’après
Tu seras mon unique projet
Je m’en irai poser tes portraits
A tous les murs que je trouverai
Et juste en dessous, j’écrirai
Que seule la lumière pourrait…
Et mes doigts pris sur tes poignets
Je t’aimais, je t’aime et je t’aimerai.





My child, naked on the pebbles,
The wind tousles your hair
Like innocence on my voyage.
A diamond falls to a jewelry box.
Alone, the light would be able to
Find our secrets.
And my fingers take your wrist.
I loved you, I love you, I will love you.
And whatever you do
Love is everywhere you look.
In the smallest corners of space
In the smallest dreams where you linger,
Love is as the rain falling
Naked on the pebbles.

The sky claims to know you.
It is as beautiful as it is surely true.
It never comes near;
I saw him taken in your net.
The world has so many regrets;
So many things that one promises.
One alone for which I was made
I loved you, I love you, I will love you.
And whatever you do
Love is everywhere you look.
In the smallest corners of space,
In the smallest dreams where you linger,
Love is as the rain falling
Naked on the pebbles.

We will take our flights from the same platform
Our eyes reflecting
This life and the one after.
You will be my unique project.
I will place your pictures
On all the ceilings of all the palaces,
On all the walls that I will find.
And truly, below, I will write
That alone the Light would be able to …
And my fingers taking your wrists
I loved you, I love you, I will love you.

This is the story of a dad speaking about his child. He calls her a diamond, his diamond.
She is his light, and he loves her with a constant and eternal love.
And in her innocence, she might not notice. But as she gets older she will.
She will.
He was sent here for her and he knows that. He loves her so much that he puts pictures of her on the walls and in his memory.
And underneath them he writes
“You are my light. Let me take your hand and show you.
For I loved you when you were born. I love you now. And I will love you forever."
This song can be taken multiple ways.
He could be your dad.
He could be your Heavenly Father.
He could be your Saviour.
He could be all three.
Realize though that you are the diamond, the joy, the Light to him; to your parents; to your God.
As I grow older, I see the little and many things my parents do for me.
 “I Alissa, having been born of goodly parents  . . .”
 
And, oh, how I love them.


Sunshine

Oh Sadie :)

Thank you for you.

We didn't meet by chance.

And I'm so glad because I have the worst luck in the world.

There are no coincidences with an omniscient being, which means that

He doesn't believe in luck either.

:)

Dear Ashley . . .

Someday you will marry a prince and you will have to deal with his heart pants.

Might I add,

somedays you walk out of math class and I'm soooooo glad that that's when I get to talk to you.

Those are the days that you know are going to be the best because, let's be honest,

they make school much funner.

That's one good thing about math.

You never know how it might change your life.

Love,

Sunshine

Radiant Tales: Chapter Fourteen

If you were to ask me, "How are you?", usually I say something along the lines of: swell, just ducky, tired, hungry, super great, etc, basically anything except "good."

because "good" gets used so much it's cliche.

like, supremely cliche.

no offense, "good".

:)

But today if you were to ask me, "How are you?" I would say, "Well, today is just a kiwi day."

Today I felt like a kiwi.

yes, my friends, a kiwi.

Because you see, a kiwi is, in a word, ugly. They aren't attractive at all and they feel rough at the edges and hairy in the middle.

I am a firm believer in beauty. I don't think anyone on this planet is ugly. Everyone is beautiful.

But sometimes, we each have those days where we feel like a kiwi.

The trouble is that sometimes we fail to look on the inside.

Kiwis are actually very beautiful. They are one of the most unique fruit I have ever seen. And there probably aren't two kiwis that look the same.

Do you ever feel like a kiwi?

Like no matter how hard you try, your hair looks worse after it's "done"

than it did when you woke up?

Or that somehow your clothes don't measure up to the clothes everyone else is wearing

and you feel as though you're being judged?

Or maybe you are being attacked by the Father of All Lies (aka Satan/the devil) and he's telling you that you're not capable of success, that you were meant to fail. That what people see on the outside is how you are on the inside and you will never be able to, in a sense, be "picked."

My kiwi days usually go somewhat like this.

What are you supposed to do? When you feel one way but you know it's completely wrong? because you know you are

BeAuTiFuL

inside and out.

(Because you are)

But today you are a kiwi. And no matter how much you would rather be that pinapple over there on the beach on the cool island, you will always be a kiwi.

In my experience as a kiwi, I have learned that it's never as bad as you think.

that no matter how harry your legs feel,

how dirty your hair looks,

how red your face is,

or how wrinkled your clothes are,

it's never as bad as you think.

It may be hard to be a kiwi, but I believe that we should instead focus on being the person who reaches up and picks those off the tree or those who have fallen to the ground; those who may not have any other friend in the world but you. 

Because do you remember how it felt when someone reached out and picked you up?

So the next time you feel like a kiwi,

remember that chances are someone else does too. Be kind. Be a friend. Because by strengthening others we strengthen ourselves.

With love and kiwifruit,

Sunshine